Foldable awning structure



Oct. 29, 1957 Filed March '7, 1955 J. M. SUYAK 2,811,458

FOLDABLE AWNING STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2, FIG. 3 2 22 23 INVENTOR. JOHN M. Sum K ATTORNEYS.

Get. 29, 1957 Filed March 7, 1955 J. M. SUYAK FOLDABLE AWNING STRUCTURE Fla. 7

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN M. SUYAK ATTORNEYS.

United States This invention relates to a device for supporting and carrying the sections of foldable awnings and the like.

The invention can be used wherever 'a number of elements are to be .moved in arcuate paths toward and from adjacent relation. An exemplary application of the invention is in supporting and carrying the sections of a foldable awning to open and folded positions, especially in the type of awnings having nesting rigid sections of metal, plastic and the like. a j

In previous awnings of this type, each section has supported the one below it by a hook-like arrangement, the awning being folded and opened by raising and lowering the bottom section. The sections clatter as they engage during opening and closing; the structure has little lateral stability so that the sections scrape together to mar their finish and tend to rattle in the wind. In partially folded positions these awnings often present a poor appearance since some of the sections may be partially opened while others are fully opened or closed.

An object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, foldable awning structure having silent operation, having stability adequate to secure the awning sections against rattling and scraping, and in which the awning sections move simultaneously to present a neat, regular, attractive appearance in all positions of the awning.

The invention is carried out generally by spporting the awning sections by a lazy tong structure wherein the central pivots are in offset position so that the tongs move arcuately in folding and unfolding. One form of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings which may be briefly described as follows:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of an awning according to this invention in use and in open position.

Fig. 2 is similar to Fig. 1 but showing the awning in a closed position.

Fig. 3 is a front elevational view of the awning in closed or folded position.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing detail at the junctures of the awning sections.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. l but showing the awning in partly opened position.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view taken in the direction of arrow 6 in Fig. 3 and showing a lazy tong unit in folded condition.

Fig. 7 is similar to Fig. 6 but showing the lazy tong unit and awning in an unfolded condition.

The awning 10 shown in the drawings comprises a number of generally rigid U-shaped awning sections 11, 12, 13 and 14 arranged to nest within one another as best illustrated in Fig. 3. The sections may be made of any suitable lightweight rigid material such as a plastic, a fiberglass composition or sheet metal and each section has a preferably arcuate outer panel portion or base portion 15 and generally flat leg portions 1619 which may have outward flanges 20 (Fig. 3). The lower ends of the leg portions are preferably secured together by coaxial pivots 21 with interposed spacers 22 and atent f ce the outer ends of the pivots may be covered by decorative caps '23. Each panel portion 15 is preferably provided at its upper and lower edges with return formed stops 25 and 26 (Fig. 4) for a purpose to "be described.

A lazy tong unit 30 is provided for supporting and coordinating the movements of each group of leg portions 1619. Each lazy tong unit comprises a number of pairs of crossed members 31 pivotally secured toget'her at their intersections as by bolts 32 with the end portions of each member 31 being pivotally secured to the end portions of an adjacent pair of crossed members as by rivets 33. The members at the ends of the lazy tong unit may be cut off at, their respective pivots 32 as shown.

Each intermediate pivot 32 is spaced unequally from its adjacent pivots 33 so that each member .31 has a longleg 34 and a short leg 35, the cut off end members also providing short and long legs as shown. When the tong unit is extended or folded, members 31 pivot relatively to each other about inter-mediate pivots 32 and the longer legs 34 on one side of pivots 32 travel further than the shorter legs 35 on the other side. The tong unit thus follows an arcuate path in folding and unfolding.

A member of a lazy tong unit is pivotally secured to each leg portion 16-49 of awning sections 11'14, re-' spective'ly. This may conveniently be accomplished by securing each bolt or pivot 32 to a leg portion and spacers 36 (Fig. 3) are preferably interposed between the lazy tong units and the leg portions. Pivots 32 of the lazy tongs are disposed circumferentially of the common axis of pivots 21.

In use, it may be assumed that the outer awning section 11 is secured to a building or other supporting structure in the generally vertical position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Awning section 11 supports the lazy tong units 30 which in turn support awning sections 1214. When the awning sections are in folded or nested condition as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the lazy tong elements are folded as shown in Fig. 6. To unfold or open the awning, either of awning sections 12, 13 or 14 are moved in an outward and downward direction by manual or other suitable means. This causes the lazy tong units to open or extend toward an unfolded condition as illustrated in Fig. 7 with the various parts of the units, including pivots 32, moving in a downwardly arcuate path as described.

Each awning section is carried in an arcuately downward and outward path by the pivots 32 to an open or unfolded position such as shown in Fig. l. The relatively broad leg portions 16-49 of the awning sections cooperate to provide generally closed sides for the awning in open position, as shown in Fig. 1, while the arcuate base or end portions of the awning sections cooperate to provide the main awning panel. To close the awning, either of awning sections 12, 13 or 14 are pushed upwardly, causing the lazy tong units to close so that the awning sections are again carried in an upward arcuate path to the closed position of Fig. 2. If desired, a lazy tong member instead of an awning section may be moved for opening and closing the awning.

It is to be noted that all parts of the lazy tong units move simultaneously in opening and closing and that the parts move through a progressively greater distance according to their initial distance from the anchored end thereof. Thus, in opening and closing, awning sections 1214 move simultaneously and through progressively varying distances according to their relation to anchored awning section 11. Section 14 moves the greatest dis tance, section 12 the least, and section 13 an intermediate distance. The distances through which the awning sections move varies generally uniformly so that sections 1214 reach open and closed positions at the same time and present an attractive, generally uniformly stepped appearance in intermediate positions as shown in Fig. 5.

The awning sections are secured in spaced relation by spacers 36 on the lazy tong units and spacers 22 at the ends of the leg portions and the structure has suflicient lateral stability so that the sections do not scrape or bump against one another during opening and closing and so that they are not materially affected by the wind. The return formed portions or stops 25 and 26 at the edges of the panel portions 15 engage to limit opening movement of the awning and their interengagement provides further stability for the awning structure in open position. Flanges 20 on leg portions 16-19 provide a drainage feature minimizing drippage on, for example, a sidewalk beneath the awning and provides a decorative feature when the awning is folded.

Identical lazy tong units may be used on awnings of various sizes, thereby'effecting a saving in the cost of manufacture. The lazy tong units may be modified for curving on larger or smaller radii by changing the relative lengths of the longer legs 34 and shorter legs 35 of tong members 31.

I claim:

1. A folding awning comprising, a plurality of generally rigid U-shaped awning sections having legs interconnected by a base forming a portion of the awning panel, said sections being arranged to be nested within one another, means interconnecting said sections for shifting arcuately relatively to each other selectively to an open position with said portions thereof cooperating to form an awning panel and to a retracted position with said sections nested, said legs cooperating to form generally closed sides for said awning in open position, said means including a lazy-tong unit adjacent each side of said awning having a series of crossed elements articulated at their ends by first pivots and at intermediate portions by second pivots, said second pivots being spaced unequally from said first pivots, said unit being operatively connected to the adjacent legs of said sections so that said units shift said sections simultaneously and in arcnate paths through progressively varying distances between open and retracted positions, said units being connected to said legs adjacent their upper edges so that said edges are in close proximity for compact nesting of said sections in retracted position.

2. The folding awning defined in claim 1 wherein said lazy-tong units are-operatively connected to said legs by certain of said pivots.

3. The folding awning defined in claim 1 wherein said lazy-tong units are operatively connected to said legs by said second pivots.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,710,449 Cloud et a1. Apr. 23, 1929 1,817,847 Richardson Aug. 4, 1931 2,127,062 Kitching Aug. 16, 1938 2,523,534 Kludjian et a1. Sept. 26, 1950 2,591,758 Zack Apr. 8, 1952 

1. A FOLDING AWNING COMPRISING, A PLURALITY OF GENERALLY RIGID U-SHAPED AWNING SECTIONS HAVING LEGS INTERCONNECTED BY A BASE FORMING A PORTION OF THE AWNING PANEL, SAID SECTIONS BEING ARRANGED TO BE NESTED WITHIN ONE ANOTHER, MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID SECTIONS FOR SHIFTING ARCUATELY RELATIVELY TO EACH OTHER SELECTIVELY TO AN OPEN POSITION WITH SAID PORTIONS THEREOF COOPERATING TO FORM AN AWNING PANEL AND TO A RETRACTED POSITION WITH SAID SECTIONS NESTED, SAID LEGS COOPERATING TO FORM GENERALLY CLOSED SIDES FOR SAID AWNING IN OPEN POSITION, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A LAZY-TONG UNIT ADJACENT EACH SIDE OF SAID AWNING HAVING A SERIES OF CROSSED ELEMENTS ARTICULATED AT THEIR ENDS BY FIRST PIVOTSAND AT INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS BY SECOND PIVOTS, SAID SECOND PIVOTS BEING SPACED UNEQUALLY FROM SAID FIRST PIVOTS SAID UNIT BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE ADJACENT LEGS OF SAID SECTIONS SO THAT SAID UNITS SHIFT SAID SECTIONS SIMULTANEOUSLY AND IN ARCUATE PATHS THROUGH PROGRESSIVELY VARYING DISTANCES BETWEEN OPEN AND RETRACTED POSITIONS, SAID UNITS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID LEGS ADJACENT THEIR UPPER EDGES SO THAT SAID EDGES ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY FOR COMPACT NESTING OF SAID SECTIONS IN RETRACTED POSITION. 